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The Reno, Nevada area has had more than its fair share of tragedies in the past few months. In Late June, an Amtrak train crashed into a truck stuck on train tracks, killing 6, including the truck driver and the train conductor. In September, a three were killed and six were wounded in a shooting at a Carson City IHOP. In mid-September, 11 people were killed when a modified P-51 Mustang crashed during the Reno Air Races.

November and January saw horrific fires race across South Reno. The November Reno fire, caused by arching power lines, destroyed 26 homes, burning 2,000 acres and killing one. In January, 29 homes were destroyed, another person was killed and 4,000 acres were burned. Investigators believe the cause of the fire was improperly disposed of fireplace ashes.

The Reno, Nevada area has responded very well to these tragedies. After each one, hundreds of people donated blood at area hospitals. During the Air Race crash, civilians rushed to aid those injured, providing comfort to and triaging wounded even before first responders arrived. During the Reno fires, evacuation centers at local high schools received donations of blankets, toiletries and more by the thousands. Individuals across the city opened their homes to those displaced by the fires. Even local area hotels offered special rates to individuals who had become homeless due to the fires.

In almost all of these accidents, the responsible individuals and/or companies have been remorseful. And, while many of the individuals whose property was destroyed, have been injured or killed had insurance, it is still important for everyone injured or who has family members killed in a train accident, house fire or airplane crash to retain legal counsel in Northern Nevada personal injury cases. Please contact Benson and Bingham for a free legal consultation today.

Benson and Bingham, while based in Las Vegas, has connections across the State of Nevada which enable them to represent those injured through negligence in Las Vegas or Reno. In 2010, we secured over $10,000,000 in awards for our clients. We pride ourselves on developing long lasting relationships with our clients

December 14, 2011 in Midtown, New York an advertising executive was killed when she stepped onto a malfunctioning elevator that lurched up when she stepped in prior to the doors closing. This caused her body to wedge between the floor of the elevator and door entrance frame. Last year in New York alone, there were 53 accidents with 3 fatalities. This sudden surge by the elevator crushed her body, and the investigation continues. It is believed the elevator was old and many violations were issued in recent years.

Las Vegas continues to have major modern fleet of elevators given the new construction, however the elevators are not immune to problems especially in the older hotels and casinos. Benson & Bingham is a Nevada leader in elevator accidents.

Many Las Vegas citizens have heard of the FBI’s investigation of various lawyers, doctors, investors and judges in the Las Vegas valley. Though this news has further tarnished an already unsavory reputation for lawyers in Las Vegas, there are those few people who really want to look out for their clients and to ensure they make a maximum recovery – regardless of the cost – whether minimal or extensive. The attorneys at Benson & Bingham ensure that quality representation is provided to each and every client. Justice is what they demand and strive for on a daily basis, including the dreaded insurance companies. If this is the type of personal injury attorney you are seeking, call : 702-382-9798.

The Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD) is a government publication issued under the guidance of the U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration. The manual sets the minimum standards and ensures uniformity throughout Nevada, as well as the United States, for all traffic control devices. The document is constantly changing as new technologies, traffic innovations and rules and regulations evolve through the country, but is constantly being incorporated by local law standards, including the Highway Patrol, Sheriffs and other police officers in Nevada.

The first MUTCD was first published in 1937 after the American Association of State Highway Officials (AASHO) and the National Conference on Street and Highway Safety (NCSHS) combined to form the Joint Committee on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (JC). While the manual was first produced in 1935, it was only published two years later since demand for the information was so high. Obviously as the rules of the road changed dramatically over time the document has evolved considerably since its inception. New traffic devices and other rules for construction and maintenance operations were only addressed with the start of the Interstate Highway System.

Today, the document is still used throughout the country as a guide on both National and State levels. Due to the constant changing of the documentation, the best place to find the most current version of the MUTCD is on their website, www.mutcd.fhwa.dot.gov. The publication is constantly evolving and takes suggestions from local and state agencies as well as other quasi governmental traffic agencies; so, if you believe there is a currently problem with the way a device operates or the rules of the road, don’t get mad, get even and contact the MUTCD with your gripe. Otherwise, if you have been cited for failure to use due care, or other tickets including reckless driving, speeding tickets or warrants, contact the experts at Ticket Power.

A Las Vegas Tour Bus carrying tourist from Japan suddenly crashed this week driving from Nevada to Bryce Canyon National Park. The tragic bus accident between Nevada and Utah occurred when the driver hit a median and rolled the bus 66 miles inside Utah state lines.

The injured passengers were rushed to surrounding medical centers, including the University of Utah Medical Center, Valley View Medical Center and Intermountain Medical Center to be treated for various wounds suffered during the bus accident. The Utah Highway Patrol where withholding some of the deceased passengers names until the families of the departed could be rightfully contacted to inform them of their deaths.

The cause of why the driver hit the median is still being investigated. Although often times bus and other vehicle accidents occur due to circumstances the driver couldn’t prevent, there are many know instances when the accident was caused due to driver negligence and/or the result of being under the influence of drugs/alcohol.

If you or a loved one has been injured in a bus or private transportation vehicle, and believe the cause of the accident may have been prevented with due care, you should seek the advice of legal representation to understand the options available to you. The law offices of Benson & Bingham have handled several bus accident/injury cases in Las Vegas and surrounding areas of Southern Nevada, and are licensed to practice in both Utah and Nevada. The Nevada firm understand what to look for in such horrific cases. Sometimes vehicle accidents are due to unpreventable circumstances, however the firm has experienced other cases where the driver was negligent or even the vehicle not up to safety standards for the transportation of people. If you believe an accident was caused due to negligence or product liability, contact the experts at Benson & Bingham.

Have you been cited for a minor traffic violation in Southern Nevada and need to avoid costly fines, DMV point increases, higher insurance or even a trip to the courts? If so, no need to worry since 24 Hour Ticket Power, Southern Nevada’s first and only automated traffic ticket website was launched. No need to get off the couch let a line wait in a sweaty line an a hot Las Vegas day.

The site streamlines the process of hiring an attorney to got to bat for your rights. It is possible to handle your Las Vegas Justice or Municipal Court, North Las Vegas Justice or Municipal Court or Henderson Justice or Municipal Court in less then 10 minutes with the click of a few mouse buttons.

Clients can use a the company’s proprietary Traffic Ticket Quick Pricer to determine the cost and typical outcomes from having their qualified traffic ticket attorneys represent them to handle their ticket, 24 hours\seven days a week. Speeding tickets and red light tickets don’t have to be the ordeal they sometimes become, since the advent of 24 Hour Ticket Power has found a new way for Las Vegas citizens to receive quality legal ticket representation for a fair and honest price.

It is a little known fact, but often litigation leads to safer car standards since the process helps identify and hold liable negligent craftsmanship on the part of Auto Manufacturers. The most recent example, the Toyota Recall due to sudden acceleration and other glitches, is one in a long line of recalls the automobile industry has experienced over the years. What keeps these corporate behemoth’s in check? Often, it’s the legal industry that ensures car makers don’t skirt their responsibility of producing safe cars.

Many suggest that auto maker’s first weigh the cost’s of litigation versus the time and expense of recalling a line/s of automobiles. Historically, that argument seems to carry some weight. A watershed legal ruling occurred in 1968 when Larsen vs GM held the automaker liable for injuries suffered by a driver of a Corvair. The ruling placed accountability on the manufacturer for design features that it felt posed a risk to drivers, the first ruling of its kind. This was followed by the Ford Pinto line of automobiles and the placement of the gas tank in respect to the rest of the car in case of auto accidents, and the greater likelihood of the gas tank exploding on impact due to the position of the tank. This lead to greater scrutiny on the part of vehicle manufacturers, similar to what is taking place with the Toyota recall, to look for potential safety hazards or defects early to avoid not only costly litigation, but also the prospects of recalling the vehicles.

Prior to the Toyota debacle, the most recent example of note is the Ford Explorer rollover suits that were caused, in part, by tread separation on the Firestone tires that came stock with the Ford Explorer package. Firestone and Ford each accused the other of the auto accidents, including the 100+ auto fatalities due to the defect, which led to the companies ending their 100+ year relationship. As the LA Times noted, “…industry analysts note that better tires and electronic stability control – now standard on SUVs – emerged largely because of the Explorer’s problem.”

This problem and subsequent safety changes were a direct result of attorney and legal firms pressuring these institutions with lawsuits as a result of substandard vehicle conditions and design flaws.

Toyota announced last Thursday January 21st, the latest, and perhaps largest recall in the history of the Automotive industry when coupled with the previous recall to related issues with their cars. The company is recalling approximately 2.3 million vehicles to correct the problem of the acceleration pedals sticking on selected Toyota models. This is in addition to the the already 4.2 million Toyota and Lexus vehicles recalled due to various floor mat issues and the sticking of pedals of selected automobiles. That’s 6.5 million combined recalls due to issues of the acceleration devices, not a minor recall to say the least.

There have reportedly been over 2,100 separate accidents due to the sudden acceleration issue the recall was targeted to correct. Whether or not an accident has resulted in a fatal injury, similar to the Ford Roll-Over accident recalls of recent history, is unknown. Why so many individual accelerator accidents had to occur prior to a recall is also an unknown, especially to the victims that had to have experienced, depending on the circumstances of their cases, what must have been quite horrific feelings. Imagine not only being able to not stop your car, but the ill euphoria of actually speeding up during these occurrences; at the very least, one would think there would be some level of PTSD due to the accident. There has been speculation that the managements of both Toyota and Nissan, another Japanese company said to have issues with their throttle systems, knew well before the NHTSA report issued their final conclusions on the acceleration issues in the vehicles.

To date, it is unknown how many crashes in the State of Nevada were due to accelerator issues with the aforementioned vehicles, however with over 2,100 accidents nationally, there is no doubt someone in Las Vegas, Reno or the surrounding areas of Southern NV experienced such an event due to an issue with their pedal causing an accident or injury. This is clearly a form of negligence on the behalf of the manufacturer, and injured victims are due compensation due to this oversight, especially since it was understood and could have been prevented prior to the accidents. If you or a loved one has been injured in an automobile accident in Nevada due to workmanship or a defect in the manufacturers’ product, contact the Las Vegas Law Offices of Benson & Bingham, experienced product liability attorneys.

Although everyone attempts to comply with safety and other every-day logic when boarding an escalator or elevator, sometimes problems or malfunctions occur irrespective of the actions an injured victim would have made. Consequently, a victim of an accident in Nevada may be forced to contact an attorney that specializes in Elevator and Escalator accidents.

Benson & Bingham have experience dealing with such claims. Whether it be a Croc or other loose fitting sandal that gets clogged in and escalator, or an elevator malfunction which drops one two floors lower then their desired floor, or a freak accident due to error in the functioning of the device, accidents do happen and injuries are a real concern.

While no one looks to get injured in a casino or hotel transportation mechanism, unfortunately these cases do arise. Knowing and trusting a firm that understand the problems associated with such devices and how best to prove that the error was due to no fault of ones own, but the mechanism itself is an important part of determining how to pursue such claims. The Law Offices of Benson & Bingham are one such entity that understands the risks associated with using an elevator, escalator or other public mode of transportation. Experts need to be contacted, and tests proof of such error needs to be provided to better help the tenants of the case.

If you or a loved one has been injured in a hotel, mall, airport or casino accident involving such a device, contact the Las Vegas experts at handling premise liability claims.

It is a sad but true circumstance that more and more reputable attorneys in Nevada are no longer interested in representing victims of a Medical Malpractice in the state of Nevada. The reason being that the law caps the amount of money that can be earned by the attorney, even though medical malpractice cases are sometimes the most costly and time consuming areas of Personal Injury law to litigate.

Nevada’s MedMal caps were set several years ago as follows: Forty percent of the first $50,000 awarded; 33 and one-third percent of the next $50,000; 25 percent of the next $500,000 awarded; and a cap of 15 percent for awards of $600,000 or more. However, the reality is that many of these cases cost more then an attorney can recoup in legal fees once the trials is completed.

Recent studies showcased on Sixty Minutes and other media outlets note that the reason health care fees are going up is not a result of malpractice suits being filed against hospitals and doctors; in fact, less then 1% of all health care fees are chalked up to medical malpractice litigation, even though some of these people suffer the most debilitating of injuries due to surgical error, mix-up in records or other gross forms of negligence by the medical establishment.

The solution? It sounds like the law needs to be rewritten if Federal and State governments are truly interested in protecting Americans. The reality is that medical malpractice is very difficult as well as costly to prove, with the hiring of experts, medical tests and other processes that accompany a suit of this nature, and without an attorney this process is nearly impossible.

For more information on why Nevada attorneys are no longer interested in pursuing such claims, read: Why Excellent Nevada Trial Attorneys WILL NOT accept good Medical Malpractice Cases